Liquid applicator attached to container



p 1964 J. R. GILCHRIST ETAL 3,148,401

LIQUID APPLICATOR ATTACHED TO CONTAINER File d March 18 United StatesPatent 3,148,461 LEQUED APPLZ'CATQ'R ATTAQHED Til CGNTAHJER James RalphGilchrist, fllarenee, and h'farvin C. Park,

ilnfiaio, N.Y., assignors to Truly-Magic froducts, Inc,

Bufialo, N.Y., a corporation of York Filed h lar. 18, 1963, $21". No.255,819 4 Qlairns. {$1. 15-565) This invention relates to a liquidapplicator adapted to be attached to a container, that is, such anapplicator which forms a closure for the mouth of a bottle and whichtransfers the liquid from the bottle in the form of a layer to thesurface to be coated, the present applicator being particularlyapplicable for home use in applying coatings to shoes to renew andpreserve appearance.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide such anapplicator which will not leak or loose the liquid contents of thebottle even when the liquid filled bottle with the attached applicatoris held in an inverted position and shaken up and down, or when thebottle and applicator are left supported by the working surface of theapplicator, even immediately following use in both cases.

Another important object is to provide such an apphcator in which theliquid is positively pumped or fed from the supply to the workingsurface of the applicator, in contrast to a gravity feed, and in whichthe rate of release of the liquid is only as desired, being under fulland easy control of the user as to the depth of the coating beingapplied.

Another object is to provide such an applicator in which such pumpingaction requires little effort or skill so that it can readily beperformed by small children and those having little aptitude.

Another object is to provide such an applicator which has a two stagepositive feed or pumping action, a light pumping action being achievedby a distortion of the pad directly forming the working surface and aheavy pumping action being achieved by a distortion of the side wall ofthe body supporting this pad, and the heavy pumping action being undercontrol of a slitted control diaphragm.

Another object is to provide such an applicator in which there is apositive shut-off of the flow of liquid from the applicator, elfected bythe simple expedient of releasing pressure on the working surface of theapplicator.

Another object is to provide such an applicator which is readily adaptedto flow control for liquids of different viscosities, such control beingeffected by adjusting the slot length in an internal control diaphragm.

Another object is to provide such an applicator in which a large amountof the liquid can be stored in the pad forming the working surface ofthe applicator both to provide uniformity in the depth of the coatingover a large area, and also to provide storage of instantly availableliquid during the operation of shining coated shoes.

Another object is to provide an applicator having softness of workingsurface and flexibility of body to readily follow irregularities in theconformation of the surface being coated.

Another object is to provide at least one straight edge termination ofthe working surface to provide for application exactly to the desiredareas only.

Another object is to provide such an applicator which will provide acoating in crevices such as the crevices between the soles and theuppers of a pair of shoes.

Another aim is to provide a working surface which distributes the liquiduniformly and which avoids a squeege action, that is, removing any partof the already applied coating in traveling over the same.

Another aim is to provide such an applicator which Bfldhfibl PatentedSept. 15, 1%64 can be attached to a transparent bottle so that the colorand any condition of solids settlement can be observed.

Another object is to provide such an applicator which can beinexpensively capped both to provide long shelf life and also long lifein the home where the contents are subject to successive use.

Another object is to provide such an applicator in which the tendency ofthe liquid to dry out on the working surface of the applicator isgreatly reduced but in which the working surface can readily be restoredto its original condition by rinsing in warm water.

Another object is to provide such an applicator which will work,however, even with very substantial drying out and incrustaticn ofsolids on the working surface.

Another object is to provide such an applicator which can be massproduced at low cost to produce an article which can be thrown away withthe empty bottle to which it is attached, it being a feature of theinvention that the application of adhesive to join certain partstogether is confined to the contacting surfaces of these parts andcannot blind or impair necessary openings adjacent these surfaces.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description and drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a container for the liquid to be appliedand having a neck to which the applicator of the present invention issecured, a protective cap for the applicator being shown in dot-dashlines.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical central section through thecontainer and applicator illustrated in FlG. l and showing the containerinverted and held at an angle preparatory to applying a layer of thecontained liquid to the surface to be coated.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing pressure applied to theapplicator to force or pump a desired quantity of the liquid onto thesurface to be coated.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing further pressure appliedfrom the container to the applicator to distort a side wall thereof andforce a greater quantity of liquid onto the surface to be coated.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 55, FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary vertical sec tion through thebottom of the applicator pad to illustrate its open cell formation andthe manner in which flock is adhered to the working face.

The liquid applicator forming the subject of the present invention isshown as applied to a container in the form of a bottle 10 containingthe liquid to be applied and is preferably in the form of a relativelyrigid walled bottle to serve as a handle through which pressure of thedesired value can be applied through the applicator to the surface to becoated for the positive release or pumping of any desired quantity ofliquid uniformly upon the surface to be coated. As shown, the body ofthe bottle 10 preferably has an annular shoulder 11 terminating in aneck 12 surrounding the mouth 13 of the container, the shoulder 11having an annular outwardly protruding annular head 14 and the neck 12having an outwardly protruding annular head 15. The bead 14 serves toreleasably anchor a cap 16 which can be made of a flexible organicplastic and which encloses the applicator 18 forming the subject of thepresent invention which is anchored on the head and forms a closure forthe open mouth 3 of the bottle 10.

The applicator forming the subject of the present invention comprises anopen ended tubular body 20 of rubher or other soft, resilient, flexiblematerial having an enlarged end collar 21 provided with an internal.annular groove 22 mating and firmly embracing the bead 15 on the neck12 to securely seal the tubular body on this neck and to permitsubstantial manual pressure to be 1mpressed through the bottle, as ahandle, against the applicator 18 without displacing the applicator fromthe neck 12.

The applicator includes a flexible control membrane or diaphragm 23across the interior of the tubular body 20 near the outboard end thereofand forming a chamber 24 at the inboard end of the tubular body incommunication with the interior of the bottle 10 and a chamber 25 ofsubstantial depth at the outboard end of the body 20. This controlmembrane 23 is provided with a control slit 26 the effective length ofwhich is adjusted to the viscosity of the liquid being handled. Thesurface to be coated is designated at 28.

The tubular body 20 additionally includes an outboard end face 30terminating in a straight edge 31 parallel with a rounding heel 32 atthe opposite end of this end face 30 and the sides of which end face 30are defined by parallel straight edges 33. The end face 30 is arrangedat an acute included angle to the axis of the tubular body 20 and bottle10 so that one side wall 34 of the tubular body 20 is substantiallylonger than the opposite side wall 35 thereof, this long side wall 34being directed toward the straight edge 31 and essentially forming along side wall for the chamber 24, the membrane 23 being disposedparallel with the working face 30 for this purpose.

A pad of polyurethane sponge is secured to the face 30 by a layer 41 ofadhesive. This pad is preferably of rectangular form in plan to conformto and register with the edges 31, 32 and 33, of the end face 30, but ispreferably of parallelogram shape in vertical section through the planeof the slit 26 to facilitate its use as an applicator pad with thebottle held at the angle shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. This polyurethanesponge pad 40 is of the open cell type in which the walls 42 between thecells 43 are ruptured to establish communication between these cells,and with the external surface cells forming craters 44 so that asubstantial quantity of liquid can be absorbed into the body of thesponge pad to be released through the craters on the external workingface 45 of the sponge pad.

This working face 45 of this pad 40 is preferably in part faced with asmall amount of flock 46. This flock is preferably in the form of shortfibers which are adhesively united to the working face in such smallamount as not to blind its openings but in suflioient amount to smoothout the liquid as it is applied and reduce any tendency toward foamingaction. To this end the flock is applied first by subjecting the workingface 45 of the polyurethane pad 40 to a very fine mist of polyester baseadhesive, illustrated at 48, to provide a very thin coating on the edgesof the craters 44 which form the working face 45, following which theflock 46 is blown .against the working face, those fibers adhering whichactually contact the adhesive which is principally present at the edgesof these craters.

With an applicator constructed as above, the cap 16 serves to protectthe applicator against injury or drying out aswell as to protect againstthe working surface of the applicator from accidently coming in contactwith other articles in storing the bottle and applicator.

The bottle 10 is preferably transparent or translucent, if the containedliquid is pigmented, to permit the user to select the color desired andalso to permit of observing the settling out of any constituents in theliquid.

The protective cap 16 is first removed by forcing it free from theretaining bead 14 of the shoulder 11, this cap being preferably made ofa flexible plastic which will yield for this purpose. Following this thebottle, with the'applicator attached, is inverted for applying a coatingto the surface 28. Such inversion causes the liquid in the bottle 10 andchamber 24 to pass through the control slit 26 and fill the chamber 25.In so inverting the bottle and applicator there is no danger of anyleakage, or of liquid being shaken out, even if the bottle 10 andapplicator are shaken up and down while in an inverted position. Suchleakage is prevented both by combined impedance of the control membrane23 and also by the polyurethane sponge pad 40, the control slit 26 inthe former and the open cells 43 in the latter offering sufficientimpedance to prevent such leakage merely from the head of liquidcontained within the bottle even when subject to violent handling suchas to vertical shaking.

The working face 45 of the polyurethane open cell foam pad 40 is thenpressed into contact with the surface 28 to be coated so as to compressthis pad vertically and to force a bulge 50 of this pad up into thefilled chamber 25 as illustrated in FIG. 3. This liquid will be forcedby the displacement resulting from this bulge 50 through the cells 43 ofthe polyurethane sponge pad 40 to the craters 44 formed in the workingsurface 45 thereof. By successively moving the bottle 10 and theapplicator 16 up and down as the working face 45 is drawn along thesurface 28 to be coated, a stripe of liquid of remarkable uniformity isapplied to the surface 28 and the amount of this liquid is under readycontrol of the user by varying the degree of pressure with which hesuccessively brings the working surface 45 into contact with the surface28 to be coated. This requirement for such oscillation or progressivelyalternating pressure on the pad 40 is an important feature of theinvention, since it is through the sucecssive productions of the bulge50 in the chamber 25 that increments of liquid are progressively andpositively forced or pumped through the open cell pad 40 onto thesurface. This is in distinct contrast to a gravity feed.

If this coating is not heavy enough still greater increments of liquidcan be positively forced or pumped through the applicator to be producedas a uniform but heavier stripe on the surface 28 to be coated. This isdone by tilting the bottle 10, as a handle, to a more vertical position,as indicated in FIG. 4, while exerting pressure against the end 31 ofthe tubular body 20 suflicient to collapse the long wall 34 inwardly.When this is done the effective size of the chamber 24 is reduced and anincreased amount or increment of liquid is forced through the controlslit 26 to the polyurethane sponge pad 40 to be distributed through itsopen cells 43 and craters 44 at an increased rate. This results in aheavier application of a stripe of liquid on the surface 28 to becoated, this rate being under the accurate control of the user and beingdependent upon the amount of pressure he uses to collapse the long sidewall 34 of the tubular body 20 in so forcing increased flow of liquidthrough the applicator.

The straight edge 31 of the applicator permits application in desiredareas only, this edge permitting of an exact patterning of the liquidbeing applied.

After a uniform layer of liquid has been applied to the shoe or othersurface 28 to be coated, the bottle is placed right side up and theflexible plastic cap 16 reapplied to the beaded shoulder 11. Thereplacement of this cap retards drying out of the polyurethane spongepad 40 and also permits the bottle 10 to be reshelved without danger ofbringing this pad accidently in contact with other objects. If the pad40 should dry it is still useable but if it is desired to restore it toits original condition after extensive incrustation resulting fromdrying out, it can be readily washed in warm water and squeezed dry.

In addition to providing space for displacement ofthe bulge 50 inpumping liquid through the polyurethane sponge pad 40, the chamber 25permits the application of the glue 41 and the polyurethane sponge pad40 to the working face 30 of the body 20 without danger of binding orblinding the control slit 26 in the membrane 23 or unnecessarilyblinding any cells 43 on the top side of the pad 40. Thus the layer ofglue 41 can be applied to the face 30 of the body 20 by means ofconventional glue rolls and since the membrane 23 is spaced asubstantial distance from the face 30 by depth of the chamber 25 thereis no danger of this glue coming in contact with the membrane 23, muchless blinding or bridging the slit 26. The polyurethane sponge formingthe pads 40 can be brought into contact with the adhesive 41 withoutdanger of blinding any of its cells 43. Accordingly the construction ofthe applicator with the relatively deep chamber 25 below the membrane 23adapts the applicator to production in automated equipment thereby togreatly reduce its cost and to permit of its being thrown away with theempty bottle.

The rate of flow of the liquid in response to distorting the long wall34 of the tubular body 20 inwardly as illustrated in FIG. 4 is afunction of the durometer hardness of the rubber or other soft resilientplastic material used for this body 20 and the membrane 23. The responseof the applicator to liquids of difierent viscosities can be adjusted byincreasing or decreasing the length of the slit 26.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the present applicator can beproduced at very low cost on automatic machinery; is free from danger ofleakage even with violent handling; is actuated by a positive pumpingaction in two stages; produces a coating of remarkable uniformity and inwhich the rate of flow can be accurately controlled within a wide rangeto produce a coating of any desired depth.

We claim:

1. An applicator for the liquid in a container having a neck surroundinga mouth through which the liquid is discharged from the container,comprising (A) a tubular body of soft, resilient, flexible materialcapable of being distorted by manual pressure and open at its ends andincluding (a) means securing and sealing one open end of said body tosaid neck to form a continuation thereof, (B) a flexible controlmembrane across the interior of said body near the opposite end thereofto form (a) a chamber at the inboard end of said body in communicationwith the interior of the container and (b) a chamber of substantialdepth at the outboard end of said body and having (c) a through slit,

(C) and a pad secured across said opposite end of said body to (a)protrude from said body,

(b) form a wall enclosing said chamber at the outboard end of said body,

() have an external working face and being (d) composed of a flexibleplastic sponge of the open cell type in which the walls between thecells are ruptured to establish communication between said cells andwith the external surface cells forming craters so that a substantialquantity of liquid can be absorbed into said sponge pad, to be releasedthrough the craters on the external working face thereof (D) wherebyupon moving said container to compress and displace said pad against thesurface to be coated a substantial proportion of said pad is displacedinto said chamber at the outboard end of said body to force the liquidin said chamber at the outboard end of said body positively into saidpad and to distribute it through the open cells thereof to said craterson said external working face for application to said surface to becoated, and (E) upon moving said container to release said pad from saidsurface to be coated, said pad springs from said chamber at the outboardend of said body to move liquid through said slit into said chamber atthe outboard end of said body, and (F) in response to manual pressurefrom said container through said body and pad against said surface to becoated, the side wall of said body is displaced inwardly into saidchamber at the inboard end of said body to force additional liquidthrough said slit and pad onto the said surface to produce a heaviercoating thereon. 2. An applicator as set forth in claim 1 wherein saidtubular body additionally includes (b) an outboard end face terminatingin a (c) straight edge and said pad is (a) adhesively secured to saidoutboard end face and has (b) a straight edge in register with saidstraight edge of said body for application of a uniform stripe of awidth equal to the length of said straight edge. 3. An applicator as setforth in claim 1 wherein said tubular body additionally includes (b) agenerally flat outboard end face arranged at an acute included angle tothe axis of said body whereby (G) one side wall of said body is longer,lengthwise of said axis, than the opposite sidewall of said body whereby(a) the displacement of said longer side wall inwardly into said chamberat the inboard end of said body to force additional liquid through saidslit and pad can be effected by changing the inclination of thecontainer with reference to the surface to be coated. 4. An applicatoras set forth in claim 1 additionally including (G) small fibers and anadhesive uniting said small fibers with the rims only of said craters ofsaid working face (a) to assist in the streakless release of saidliquid.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,919,859 Phillips July 25, 1933 2,820,234 Rigney Jan. 21, 19582,913,748 Felter Nov. 24, 1959

1. AN APPLICATOR FOR THE LIQUID IN A CONTAINER HAVING A NECK SURROUNDINGA MOUTH THROUGH WHICH THE LIQUID IS DISCHARGED FROM THE CONTAINER,COMPRISING (A) A TUBULAR BODY OF SOFT, RESILIENT, FLEXIBLE MATERIALCAPABLE OF BEING DISTORTED BY MANUAL PRESSURE AND OPEN IS ITS ENDS ANDINCLUDING (A) MEANS SECURING AND SEALING ONE OPEN END OF SAID BODY ANDTO SAID NECK TO FORM A CONTINUATION THEREOF, (B) A FLEXIBLE CONTROLMEMBRANE ACROSS THE INTERIOR OF SAID BODY NEAR THE OPPOSITE END THEREOFTO FORM (A) A CHAMBER AT THE INBOARD END OF SAID BODY IN COMMUNICATIONWITH THE INTERIOR OF THE CONTAINER AND (B) A CHAMBER OF SUBSTANTIALDEPTH AT THE OUTBOARD END OF SAID BODY AND HAVING (C) A THROUGH SLIT,(C) AND A PAD SECURED ACROSS SAID OPPOSITE END OF SAID BODY TO (A)PROTRUDE FROM SAID BODY, (B) FORM A WALL ENCLOSING SAID CHAMBER AT THEOUTBOARD END OF SAID BODY, (C) HAVE AN EXTERNAL WORKING FACE AND BEING(D) COMPOSED OF A FLEXIBLE PLASTIC SPONGE OF THE OPEN CELL TYPE IN WHICHTHE WALLS BETWEEN THE CELLS ARE RUPTURED TO ESTABLISH COMMUNICATIONBETWEEN SAID CELLS AND WITH THE EXTERNAL SURFACE CELLS FORMING CRATERSSO THAT A SUBSTANTIAL QUANTITY OF LIQUID CAN BE ABSORBED INTO SAIDSPONGE PAD, TO BE RELEASED THROUGH THE CRATERS ON THE EXTERNAL WORKINGFACE THEREOF (D) WHEREBY UPON MOVING SAID CONTAINER TO COMPRESS ANDDISPLACE SAID PAD AGAINST THE SURFACE TO BE COATED A SUBSTANTIALPROPORTION OF SAID PAD IS DISPLACED INTO SAID CHAMBER AT THE OUTBOARDEND OF SAID BODY TO FORCE THE LIQUID IN SAID CHAMBER AT THE OUTBOARD ENDOF SAID BODY POSITIVELY INTO SAID PAD AND TO DISTRIBUTE IT THROUGH THEOPEN CELLS THEREOF TO SAID CRATERS ON SAID EXTERNAL WORKING FACE FORAPPLICATION TO SAID SURFACE TO BE COATED, AND (E) UPON MOVING SAIDCONTAINER TO RELEASE SAID PAD FROM SAID SURFACE TO BE COATED, SAID PADSPRINGS FROM SAID CHAMBER AT THE OUTBOARD END OF SAID BODY TO MOVELIQUID THROUGH SAID SLIT INTO SAID CHAMBER AT THE OUTBOARD END OF SAIDBODY, AND (F) IN RESPONSE TO MANUAL PRESSURE FROM SAID CONTAINER THROUGHSAID BODY AND PAD AGAINST SAID SURFACE TO BE COATED, THE SIDE WALL OFSAID BODY IS DISPLACED INWARDLY INTO SAID CHAMBER AT THE INBOARD END OFSAID BODY TO FORCE ADDITIONAL LIQUID THROUGH SAID SLIT AND PAD ONTO THESAID SURFACE TO PRODUCE A HEAVIER COATING THEREON.